AMY NORTHWEST

HEALTHY BULLDOG SUMMER 2017 VOLUME 4, NUMBER 2

(Please see Book on Page 2)

Ten AMY Northwest Healthy

Bulldog reporters have become

book authors.

They contributed two chapters

to the book, "Leading Healthy

Change In Our Communities

2017," which will be published

this spring. The book features 12

individuals who are making the

Philadelphia area healthier and

safer for children and their fami-

lies.

The AMY reporters inter-

viewed Bettyann Creighton, who

heads health and physical educa-

tion for the School District of

Philadelphia. They also inter-

viewed Stephen Gregg, the execu-

tive director of SquashSmarts, a

program that teaches kids how to

play the racquet sport squash and

also mentors them in their aca-

demic studies. Learn more about

SquashSmarts on Page 2

Mrs. Creighton is in charge of

all the health, safety, and PE pro-

grams for the school district. In

Playing squash is one of the topics in the new "Leading Healthy Change" book

Students help write book

AMY Northwest students are

split on whether they feel Phila-

delphia's new soda tax is a good

idea.

In a recent survey of 64 AMY

students across three grades, 50

percent said they did not like the

tax. Thirteen percent gave it a

thumbs up. And 37 percent said

they were unsure or had no opin-

ion about the tax.

In its simplest terms, the

Philadelphia Beverage Tax (its

official name) is a tax on sugary

drinks such as soda, teas, and

sports drinks.

According to the City of Phila-

delphia’s website, the Philadel-

phia beverage tax is a 1.5-cent tax

on each ounce of a sweetened bev-

erage. This includes drinks like

regular or diet soda and sweet-

ened teas—any drink that has

added sugar or a sugar-substitute.

The tax came into effect on

Jan. 1 and it affects a lot of peo-

ple. Delis, restaurants, and gro-

cery stores may raise the prices on

their sweetened prices on their

drinks, and their customers may

pay more. For instance, in Janu-

ary, The Philadelphia Inquirer

published examples of the impact

of the tax at one Philadelphia

store. An 18.5-ounce bottle of Tur-

(Please see Soda tax on Page 3)

Students

split on

soda tax

Illustration by Gabrielle Savage

PAGE 2 SUMMER 2017 AMY NORTHWEST HEALTHY BULLDOG

Book focuses on health leaders that role, she seeks to provide the most up-to-date

programs, curriculum, and athletic equipment for

134,000 students.

"Health is so huge that there is never enough

time to teach all of it," she says.

To stay on top of essential information, Mrs.

Creighton says, she depends on many national and

local experts for guidance. Her resources include the

American Cancer Society, the American Heart Asso-

ciation, and the federal Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention.

Teaching kids to become fit isn't the only benefit

of the programs she guides, Mrs. Creighton says.

"There’s learning sportsmanship, teamwork, problem-

solving—all those skills that you will use no matter

what you do with your life," she said. "If we don’t

have those skills, then [life] becomes a struggle."

AMY students who helped author the book are Christopher Alexander, Jayla Bernard, Julian Davis-

Smith, Walter Edwards, Myles Jones, Kok-Leang Ka-

ing, Khaci Teague, Malaysia Watson, Jayden Wil-

liams, and Marcella Young .

The illustration on Page 1 by Gabrielle Savage

will also appear in the book.

Copies of the new book will be donated to AMY

Northwest. The book also will be posted online at

www.HealthyNewsWorks.org.

Illustration by Tajae Panton

(Continued from Page 1)

Squash is more than a vegetable The sport of squash is like "physical chess," ac-

cording to Stephen Gregg, who runs a Philadelphia

program for kids called SquashSmarts.

Squash is a racquet sport with two people and a

ball that anyone can play.

"It’s played in a small box and there is nowhere to

hide," Mr. Gregg said.

SquashSmarts is dedicated to teaching kids the

sport and helping them succeed in school, Mr. Gregg

said in a press conference with the Healthy Bulldog.

“We are a small nonprofit and we focus on build-

ing relationships. It’s about building a team, but also

individuals. It’s about commitment, not ability. I be-

lieve every middle schooler can be a great athlete.”

In the program, mentors tutor students, help

them with homework, and meet with their teachers.

They also serve as squash coaches. At SquashSmarts,

Mr. Gregg and his staff believe that squash is a sport

you can play for life.

To join SquashSmarts you must attend a specific

Philadelphia school. The kids who choose to partici-

pate must attend program activities at least three

days a week for seven years—from sixth grade

through 12th grade. Mr. Gregg wishes his program

could expand and more students could participate.

Mr. Gregg said one of the SquashSmarts coaches

is featured in a special exhibit in the Franklin Insti-

tute's Sports Zone.

Mr. Gregg is proud that SquashSmarts has hired

six program graduates. He said he hopes one day a

program graduate will head SquashSmarts.

—By Nia Phy, Kok-Leang Kaing, Damir

Speight, and Healthy Bulldog staff

AMY Northwest Healthy Bulldog

A publication of AMY Northwest School in the School District

of Philadelphia. Eighth grade student staff members include

Christopher Alexander, Jayla Bernard, Catia Bullock, Julian

Davis-Smith, Walter Edwards, Jewany Gonzalez, Jaharrah Hart-

man, Charlemagne Hunter, Kyree Jones, Myles Jones, Kok-Leang

Kaing, Kwaku Moore, Tajae Panton, Tashay Pettiford, Nia Phy,

Damir Speight, Khaci Teague, Malaysia Watson, Jayden Wil-

liams, Sekari Wyatt, and Marcella Young. The Healthy Bulldog's

faculty advisors are Mrs. McKenna and Ms. Kelly.

A Healthy NewsWorks® project • www.HealthyNewsWorks.org

Healthy NewsWorks is a member of New Beginnings Non-

profit Incubator at Resources for Human Development.

This document is protected by applicable law. All rights reserved.

PAGE 3 SUMMER 2017 AMY NORTHWEST HEALTHY BULLDOG

Soda tax receives mixed review key Hill Iced Tea was expected to cost $1.27 with the

tax. The cost before the tax was $0.99s, according to

The Inquirer.

The tax money will fund important government

services like pre-kindergarten education, community

schools and parks, and recreation centers and librar-

ies, according to the city's website. The city sees this

use of the tax money as a way to make "much needed

investments" and "tackle [its] largest and most crip-

pling problems head-on," according to its website.

Many people also see the tax as a way to help

people limit drinking sugary drinks. Sugary drinks

have been linked to weight gain and the obesity epi-

demic, according to experts.

In interviews, some students said they were torn

about the tax. "It’s a good thing because the city is

getting more money, but a bad thing because you

have to pay so much for beverages," said one eighth

grader.

But another said the tax makes sense. "It is a

good idea because ingesting too much sugar is bad for

you," he said.

Of the 25 sixth graders who were surveyed, sev-

eral said they had mixed feeling. They believed the

tax would stop people from buying sugary drinks

which would lead to a healthier lifestyle. But at the

same time they wanted to know where the tax money

was going and were also concerned that the price on

soda had become too much.

Over half of the seventh graders surveyed

thought the soda tax was a bad idea.

Among 22 eighth graders surveyed, half said

they would continue to buy sugary drinks despite the

soda tax. Nine percent said they would limit their

purchases of sugary drinks because of the soda tax.

Damir Speight, an eighth grader, said his favorite

sweetened drink is Sprite and the new sugar tax

"does deter me from buying it."

He added, the tax "shouldn't have been done ...

people in other states aren't paying extra for their

sodas, juices, Gatorades, etc. It isn't fair."

Julian Davis-Smith, an eighth grader, said "I

agree with it, but believe it resembles a cigarette tax

[and will] make more people buy less sugary foods.”

Kyree Jones said "the tax doesn’t really affect me

because I live near Cheltenham," outside the city,

where the tax doesn't apply.

—By Kok-Leang Kaing, Tajae Panton,

Christopher Alexander, Myles Jones,

Catia Bullock, and Kyree Jones

(Continued from Page 1)

Keeping your bones healthy is important. While

many kids may believe brittle bones are a concern

only for older people, they should reconsider that mis-

conception.

It is important for you to start strengthening your

bones while you are still young, according to the Na-

tional Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and

Skin Disease. Health experts say people finish build-

ing up almost all their bones by the time they are 18.

A "bone-strengthening activity helps form new

bone tissue," says the Best Bones Forever website.

Activities such as running and jumping make

"muscles stronger, and muscles push and tug against

bones, making them even stronger."

You should exercise frequently and eat healthy

foods every day. Otherwise, your bones can become

weak and be fragile.

Exercise and a healthy diet are keys to healthy

bones. People should do bone-strengthening exercises

at least three times a week, according to the Depart-

ment of Health and Human Services. But don’t worry,

you can exercise and have a lot of fun in the process.

Playing basketball, dancing, and jumping rope are

bone-strengthening activities. If you don't like sports,

you can simply go jogging or take a walk.

Another key to maintaining healthy bones is to

eat plenty of vegetables and other foods and bever-

ages that contain calcium and vitamin D. Children

from the age of nine to 18 should consume at least

1,300 milligrams of calcium every day, according to

the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskele-

tal and Skin Disease.

Maintaining a healthy diet, however, doesn't

mean you have to become a vegetarian. In fact, you

can still enjoy snacks like ice cream and yogurt and

much more, because they have a lot of calcium.

Let’s get out there, get going, and start eating

healthy foods.

—By Nia Phy, Tashay Pettiford,

and Healthy Bulldog staff

Strengthen your bones now!

SUMMER 2017 AMY NORTHWEST HEALTHY BULLDOG PAGE 4

Getting enough sleep is a problem for many peo-

ple, including students at AMY Northwest.

Some students even put their heads down during

class—a key sign that they are sleep-deprived, said

art teacher Mr. Myrick. But there's a solution.

"If you have your lights off at the same time every

night and a reasonable time you should have no prob-

lem worrying about getting enough rest," he said.

Some students stay up too late because they are

glued to their phones and other technology. "If the

students put their phones away sometimes they

might get enough sleep," Mr. Myrick said.

What happens if you don’t get enough sleep?

"Chronic sleep deprivation may lead to a host of

health problems including obesity, diabetes, cardio-

vascular disease, and even early mortality," says Har-

vard Medical School's Division of Sleep Medicine.

Teens who do not get enough sleep can be moody, look

bad, and do poorly on tests, according to the National

Sleep Foundation. "When you do not get enough

sleep, you are more likely to have an accident, injury,

and/or illness," the foundation says.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says chil-

dren ages 6 to 12 sleep should sleep between 9 and12

hours a day. Teens need between 8 and 10 hours.

Because of their rigorous schedules, student ath-

letes also face consequences when they do not get

enough sleep. According to Ms. Kelly, AMY’s PE and

health teacher and sports coach, sleep is "important

because you are pushing your body in practice, so you

need more time to recover."

She added, "Not getting enough sleep increases

the chances of fatigue, low energy, and poor focus at

game time. Sleep is the time when your body repairs

itself. If you don't get enough sleep, you won't per-

form well."

One way to stabilize your sleeping habits is by

keeping a regular sleep-wake cycle, according to Kids-

Health.org. Get plenty of exercise during the day, but

don't exercise close to bedtime. It’s also best to avoid

all electronics late in the day, the website says.

Mr. Myrick said he "listens to some soothing mu-

sic or reads a book or finds things that relax him" to

prepare himself for a good night’s sleep.

"My tip to students is try to have the best sleep

you can," he said. "A good sleep helps your body grow

and your brain stay alert. Not getting enough sleep

affects your health." — By Malaysia Watson, Charle-

magne Hunter, Sekari Wyatt, Marcella Young, Jayden

Williams, Jayla Bernard, and Kwaku Moore

It's important to get enough sleep

What's happening at AMY? As part of an annual tradition, AMY Northwest

students participated in the Pennies for Patients

fundraiser this year. The event raises money for kids

with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

During March, classes participated in a competi-

tion that encouraged students to bring in pennies and

coins. The school set a goal of raising $1,200—and

surpassed it with a total of $$1,666, according to Ms.

Hettel, sixth grade math teacher.

This year the sixth grade raised the most money

and earned a dress-down day. Homerooms 801 and

802 raised the highest value in coins and earned a

pizza party. The funds go to the Leukemia and Lym-

phoma Society. —By Jewany Gonzalez

* * *

AMY Northwest showed up at the Penn Relays in

late April with one goal in mind: To win!

The Bulldogs' 4x100 boys relay team finished

third in its event. The girls's 4x100 relay team fin-

ished first in its event. Check out the gold medal

plaque in AMY's office.

* * *

AMY Northwest’s second annual 5 kilometer race

to raise money for the school's outdoor garden class-

room space will be Friday, May 26.

The race will take place on the Wissahickon Trail,

with each grade starting at different times during the

morning. Students need to raise at least $5 to par-

ticipate in the race. They are encouraged to raise $25.

All proceeds benefit AMY’s "Growing to Greatness"

initiative to build an outdoor garden classroom and

physical education space.

Illustration by Jasir Jones